Sport

Super Cup viewings for festival's young footballers

GREAT TURNOUT: Players and families - estimated at more than 4,000 - enjoyed the annual Sully Sports Festival of Football.

SUPER CUP: Visiting teams to the Sully Sports Festival of Football showed great interest in the UEFA Super Cup Trophy which is touring Wales as part of the build up to the UEFA Super Cup Final at the Cardiff City Stadium on August 12.

A SPECIAL 'guest' at Saturday's Sully Sports Festival of Football was the UEFA Super Cup Trophy which is touring Wales as part of the build up to the final at the Cardiff City Stadium on August 12.

The festival incorporates a soccer tournament involving 100 boys' and girls' sides from across South Wales and over the border and the kind gesture by the Football Association of Wales and UEFA allowed youngsters to have their photos taken with the trophy free of charge.

A club spokesman said: "This was a fantastic boost for grassroots football, with around 4,000 people, including 1,200 young footballers, at our event.

"It certainly provoked a huge amount of interest on the day and Sully Sports would like to thank Louise and Ian at the FAW and UEFA for their support. To see the youngsters' faces standing next to a trophy that teams like Bayern Munich and Barcelona have recently won was a picture in itself.

"We would also like to thank Sully Sports senior players for providing stewarding of the trophy on the day."

Saturday's event on one of the hottest days of the year was the culmination of months of planning and hard work by the Sully Sports festival organisers.

Pitches and stalls were set up well before the players had probably got up, and Steve Gunney and Nick Collins produced pitches that many a club would have been proud of. Traffic was eased in with the help of the youth and Sully ladies' sides.

Stalls and attractions, including a coconut shy, hair spray and inflatables, were manned by parents and junior players, while Luc was busy on the penalty shoot-out and Sonny and Nick sold cakes made by the girls' sides.

As games progressed, parents were able to support, relax by the seaside and take advantage of the food and drinks provided by James and Alan on the barbecue and the staff at Sully Sports & Leisure Club and Ruddy's Pizzas.

The spokesman added: "Feedback from the parents, coaches and clubs has been smashing and it seems everyone enjoyed the day, and the football on show from youngsters six to 12 years of age was top class. This is what it is all about and why Sully, as a club, puts so much effort into the festival to provide a day, with a sporting focus, for all the family."

The club extended its thanks to all their sponsors, to everyone who helped and played their part, to BP Sully Sports & Leisure for providing a unique venue, to Jon Smith for his photography work throughout the day and to Nick Collins and his team for organising another cracking festival.

*Tickets for the UEFA Super Cup final between Champions League winners Real Madrid and compatriots Sevilla FC can be applied for via Uefa.com